WikiLeaks faced a fresh threat to its survival on Saturday as the online payment service PayPal cut off the account used for donations to the whistleblowing Web site.
WikiLeaks is already fighting to stay on the Internet. It switched its domain to Switzerland because its original Web address was shut down by a US provider, as it continues to release thousands of classified US diplomatic cables.
At the same time, Sweden has issued an amended international arrest warrant for WikiLeaks’ frontman Julian Assange, who is believed to be in Britain, and the Times newspaper reported he could be arrested next week.
In a new blow to the Web site, the US-based PayPal, which is owned by auctions group eBay, announced it would stop taking donations for WikiLeaks thus cutting off a key source of its income.
“PayPal has permanently restricted the account used by WikiLeaks due to a violation of the PayPal acceptable use policy, which states that our payment service cannot be used for any activities that encourage, promote, facilitate or instruct others to engage in illegal activity,” it said in a statement.
WikiLeaks blamed “US government pressure” for the PayPal ban, in a message on its Twitter feed.
Assange broke cover on Friday to say in an online chat that he had increased security after receiving death threats.
ANTI-SHIP CONFIGURATION: The Tuo Chiang-class vessels are to be built for NT$9.7 billion by Lung Teh, a shipyard that previously built four similar corvettes for the navy The Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday awarded Lung Teh Shipbuilding (龍德造船) a NT$9.7 billion Co (US$317.57 million) contract to build five Tuo Chiang-class corvettes with anti-ship capabilities, a defense official familiar with the matter said yesterday. The corvettes would carry vertical launchers for four Hsiung Feng II (HF-2) missiles, as well as eight Hsiung Feng III (HF-3) anti-ship missiles, in contrast to ships configured for anti-air warfare, which carry eight HF-2 and four HF-3 missiles, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The anti-ship corvettes would be armed for improved standoff range against surface combatants and carry the latest
PARTIAL SUPPORT: Morris Chang said he agrees with the US’ goal to slow advances of China’s chip sector, but US policies that might boost chip prices perplex him Washington’s efforts to on-shore semiconductor production might lead to surges in chip prices and supply bottlenecks, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀) said yesterday. The 91-year-old industry veteran said he supports parts of Washington’s effort to slow China’s progress on advanced chip manufacturing. China is still six years behind Taiwan in making advanced chips, despite years-long efforts to catch up, Chang told a Commonwealth Magazine forum that he coheadlined with Tufts University assistant professor Chris Miller, an expert on the US-China rivalry’s effects on chip manufacturing. However, Chang said that other parts of the effort, particularly Washington’s on-shoring
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ALL CHILDREN ELIGIBLE: The Cabinet approved the latest version of the tax rebate distribution plan that unlike earlier versions, has no age limit, the finance ministry said Taiwanese and eligible foreign residents can from next week register online for a tax rebate of NT$6,000 (US$196) from last year’s NT$380 billion revenue surplus, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Cabinet earlier in the day approved the rebates for Taiwanese, foreign spouses of Taiwanese, foreign diplomats and their spouses, and Alien Permanent Resident Certificate holders, it said. Parents can also claim the rebates for their children, the ministry said, after earlier versions of the plan had excluded young children. Registration via 6000.gov.tw would be open from 8am on Wednesday, the ministry said, adding that the rebates would be wired to peoples’
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